Socket Safety

[Bernie2]

I wonder how many c/h installers check the quality of the power supply to a wall socket they intend to use, before they link up to it?

Do we know the earth loop is okay? Is the polarity? Des the RCD kick in on time? And so on.

The thing is, its all down to the fitter to check and you would probably soon find that out if there was a fault and somebody lit up when they touched a part of the system.

You might very well wire the system up spot on.
But its the house wiring it draws its juice from, how good is that?

We think its common sense to test the gas pressure and water pressure before we install a boiler.

But do we think the same about the electrical supply?

As you probably know its a bit of mucking about to do a proper wall socket test.
But it is something we should always do or the system may not be deemed safe and its just plain common sense to do it anyway, beside the overriding one of safety.

Incidentally the boiler may not work properly either if the supply is wrong and frying a pcb or two is in prospect as well.

So there are loads of reasons to check the integrity of any electrical supply.

A UK company called Socket and See, make a plug top tester SOK 36. It seems ideal for installers. It does earth loop testing, rcd test and all the other polarity stuff all in the one tester. Its about £40 or so.

The "sparks" earth loop, rcd testers alone cost a small fortune possibly something over £300 each, plus polarity testing gear and the likes as well.

But they are expensive because they can be used all over the place and for many systems and give variable readings to ascertain more information about the system.

The average ch installer is only really interested in a normal domestic wall socket being okay to connect up to.
So outside of fault finding multi meter a plug top tester with its limited dedicated domestic testing facility is really all a ch installer needs.

If a fault shows, before you install, then tell the customer to get it repaired or contact a local "spark" company to do it. You would tell them if it was a water pressure or gas pressure fault, why not electrical power?

The local sparks will kiss you for it and you can pat yourself on the back for bringing to light a potentially dangerous system for the customer.

I think at about £40 the tester is worth a look.

And no I am not on commission off the company, I am just interested in safety.

Incidentally, might be a bit of a market for them. Nice little earner for a ch installer if they can get a sole agency off them.

Sorry meant to add: If doing an earth loop test or any test please read all instructions supplied with the test instrument.

An earth loop test and some other tests, can send a test voltage down the system earth which can damage sensitive equipment such as TV's, video reorders, computers and the like. So don't forget to get the customer to unplug them ans stand clear of any metal objects such as radiators. But you may not need to do any of that if the plug top instructions tell you different.

I must admit I don't know about the SOK36 it seems to test in a different way than the old loop testers. In point looking at the plug top market as a whole, in the last few years new test equipment seems to be coming on to the market that is way cheaper than traditional test equipment. Its not less quality I don't think but more technological advances.

 

[andekoch]

Agreed the supply should be checked, especially polity and earthing. I always check before I put connect something.

Same applies to plugging in your power tools to drill a hole or charge a battery. My tool box has an RCD plug adaptor in it that I use.

 

[Puddle]

Good topic to raise Bernie2,these plug testers are a good item to keep in your tool bag,they only have to justify once,to more than pay for themselves,there are several makes but the one you mention seems very good,have come across sockets wired up with revese polarity a few times and with earths missing
Do not think ,Oh just removed a boiler or appliance that was working ok so no problem.I replaced a boiler a few years ago and not only were live and neutral wired wrong way round at socket, also wired wrong way round in plug which allowed operation,I think what had happened is some one had removed a fuse spare and fitted a plug socket and did not know the colour coding,not pointing any fingures but there was an adaptor fitted allowing lights ,under recently fitted kitchen wall units to be operated
The above also meant that if you just turned off single pole socket to boiler and not unpluged the boiler would still have been live as the neutral was the curcuit to be cut at socket,which leads on to the need to fit double pole isolation
Also with times tight at the moment many site lads are finding themselves in domestic properties,moving from 24v to 240v so if using there tools through transformers,this socket tester in great
But remember this tester is for your piece of mind only not the customers,if you find a fault great (well not great,but you know what I mean )tell the customer and have checked and repaired/corrected.However do not test sockets and just because tester says all Ok ,advise customer all Ok because this tester is not approved to carry out official testes and inspections,if the customer as any concerns or wants other sockets tested ,that you are not using ,just for the sake of it,advise them in get proper inspection undertaken by a qualified person

 

[lennytheloon]

Hi there.

I have to say it's nice to see people actually thinking about the electricity supply to the equipment they are installing.

I've lost count of the times I've been to jobs where another trade has been in done their bit well (plumbing, heating, air-con), and just thrown an electric cable at the socket/spur to feed it and as long as it works who cares.

Well done chaps.

 

[heinz57]

Well said Bernie2, im not currently a ch engineer, maybe oneday! Am currently studying for partp defined scope and have been tralling the net trying to price up pac testers and such, bloody expensive. Electrical safety is paramount and should be tested, I wouldnt be able to sleep if id left a job and not tested everything! the SOK36 sounds like a good bit of safety gear, I think ill take a look at that site you mentioned! It is right to test the connection, you could save lives and like you say the sparkys will be grateful of the work.

 

[migoplumber]

i agree with everything said above, however as plumbers i was under the impression, all we could do was put a plug on our installation. unless we are part p no fused spurs or direct connections.

shaun

 

[Puddle]

i agree with everything said above, however as plumbers i was under the impression, all we could do was put a plug on our installation. unless we are part p no fused spurs or direct connections.

shaun

You are correct migoplumber,the above is about testing/checking that the plug socket you use are safe/correctly wired to do so
No electricaly unqualified plumber can wire into a fused spare as then full checks and tests have to be done
However I would like to say many plumbers are qualified to carry out electrical works

 

[Bernie2]

Yes your right Migo!

It was just about checking without doing any electrical work other than putting a plug on the end of the boiler lead.

The reason I brought it up was simply not only safety but that some boiler manufacturers seem to be asking for it to be done before you install their boilers. which of course we should do anyway. But how? and how easy can we do it without calling in a sparks? The plug top tester seems to fit the bill.

Incidentally even if your not a registered "sparks" you can do wiring anywhere in a house, including a Kitchen or Bathroom, but you have to inform the Building Control of your local council to come out, to check and issue a safety test certificate for certain parts of it, especially the Kitchen and Bathroom and any other extensive work.
Apparently it costs about £100 - £160 for them to do so. A registered "sparks" can certify it him or herself.

What if you don't tell anybody and do the work anyway?

Well if there is an accident, its down to you.

Also if you sell the house, they soon find out, for the test certificate has to go in the HIPS pack. And if you have a brand new set of Kitchen plug tops then they will know it was done after registration was required.

Anyway it all makes sense to get it tested properly in the potentially dangerous areas of the Kitchen and Bathroom.